ASIA PACIFIC. Asia Pacific airlines carried 23.6 million international passengers in May; a +2.8% year-on-year increase.
The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) said carriers in the region had now posted a “healthy” +6.0% increase in international passengers carried during the first five months of the year. The aggregate total is 120.6 million.
In revenue passenger kilometre (RPK) terms in May, international passenger demand grew by +4.5%. AAPA said this highlighted the relative strength of long haul travel demand. Combined with the +5.8% expansion in available seat capacity, the average international passenger load factor fell by 0.9 percentage points to 75.4% for the month.
“The demand outlook for air passenger markets remains broadly positive, but the stimulus effect of low oil prices is dissipating, and uncertainty over the global economic outlook is further clouded by the potential repercussions from the political events unfolding in Europe,” said AAPA Director General Andrew Herdman.
“Even with the expectation of further growth in passenger demand, market conditions remain intensely competitive. Consequently, airlines are continuing to focus their attention on disciplined cost management efforts throughout the business.”
